Since being released in the game with the launch of Operation Red Craw, Hibana has been through ups and downs. Fortunately, she's in a good spot now and coexists with Thermite, Ace, Maverick, and the portable Hard Breaching Charges.
Keep on reading to know more about Rainbow Six Siege's Japanese attacker Yumiko "Hibana" Imagawa.
Read more: Rainbow Six Siege Operator Tier List: Attackers
Hibana's Biography
While we don't know much about Hibana's childhood, it's a fact that she practiced Kyūdō from an early age. Through Kyūdō, Hibana evolved qualities that she would, later on, use on the battlefield. According to Ubisoft's background, she "possesses the ability to assess multiple factors simultaneously while executing precise, controlled, and fluid motions."
Hibana would train with various CTUs around the world, including the SAS, FBI SWAT, and GIGN, which can also be seen in action in Rainbow Six Siege.
According to Ubisoft, Hibana's nickname comes from her time at the National Police Academy "due to her improvised explosive devices." Her abilities on the battlefield combined with her being able to speak fluently various languages opened the door to join the Aichi Prefectural Police Department Special Assault Team.
Overall, Imagawa "is an expert in paramilitary techniques and infiltration of high-risk areas, demonstrating brilliant leadership skills in the field."
Hibana's loadout
Primary: TYPE-89 Assault Rifle / SUPERNOVA Shotgun
Secondary: P229 Handgun / Bearing 9 Machine Gun
Gadget: Stun Grenades x3 / Breach Charge x3
Hibana's mains usually have the same loadout: TYPE-89 as primary, Bearing 9 as secondary, and stuns to wrap it up. You might want to change the secondary though, as the Bearing's recoil is a bit difficult to manage.
Regarding the gadget, it depends on the site you think you will be attacking. For example, if you are playing on Clubhouse, you might want flashes to attack CCTV, and breach charges to attack the basement. Pick depending on your team's strategy, although the stuns are always a safe bet.
What's Hibana's best loadout?
We think that Hibana's best loadout includes the TYPE-89 Assault Rifle, the Bearing 9 Machine Gun, and the Stun Grenades. However, as we said before, you may want to change the Stun Grenades for Breach Charges if you want to get stronger at vertical plays.
Hibana's role in Rainbow Six Siege
Hibana is a hard breacher, so her main goal is to open reinforced walls and hatches.
She is also an operator used to clear defender utility, such as Jäger's ADSs or Wamai's magnetos. She throws her three flashes in order to do that. If she has breaching charges, she can be used as a soft breacher, opening non-reinforced walls and the defender's ceiling.
Despite the TYPE-89 just having 20+1 bullets per magazine, having the Bearing 9 makes Hibana a good operator at getting some good frags. She is a really strong operator, especially at close gunfights.
Considering she is a hard breacher and has important utility and a good weapon set, losing her early in a round might be lethal for attackers.
How to use Hibana's gadget in Rainbow Six Siege
Hibana's gadget is called the X-KAIROS. Her gadget throws up to six pellets that stick on the walls and explode. The whole will be bigger depending on the number of pellets thrown at a wall.
Arguably Hibana's versatility got improved when Ubisoft tweaked her gadget, allowing her to alternate the number of X-KAIROS thrown at a time. She can now throw two, four, or six. In the past, she could only throw six.
Since she has 18 pellets, she can only fully open one wall (Thermite can open two). However, her versatility with the X-KAIROS makes her the perfect operator to open hatches -- four X-KAIROS needed to open a reinforced hatch, just two when it's soft.
Read more: What is a hard breacher in Rainbow Six Siege?
This means on takes like Clubhouse's basement, where there are three hatches (Bar, Kitchen, Jackets), or on Bank's basement (two hatches), Hibana can be really useful. The X-KAIROS versatility can also be used to open small angles in reinforced walls to see through different reinforced walls.
You can always use only 8 to 12 X-KAIROS to open a wall to walk through while crouching, but that can leave you in a bad spot as you won't be able to run and, sometimes, you will have to vault in.
Hibana can also use her X-KAIROS to destroy Azami's Kiba Barriers. The Japanese operator only needs two X-KAIROS to destroy the defender's gadget.
Best counters to Hibana
Hibana is an operator that can be countered in multiple ways. Here are the best defenders to counter the Japanese's gadget:
- Impact Grenades and other explosives will destroy Hibana's X-KAIROS.
- Hibana's X-Kairos aren't bulletproof, which means any defender can destroy the gadget by shooting at them.
- Maestro's Evil Eyes can be used to destroy Hibana's X-KAIROS.
- Bandit and Kaid's electrical devices can prevent Hibana from breaching any reinforced wall.
- Mute's jammers will jam a reinforced wall, making it very difficult for Hibana to open it by herself.
- Thorn's Razorbloom Shells can destroy Hibana's X-KAIROS if the Irish gadget is triggered next to the pellets.
- Aruni's Surya Gates will destroy any X-KAIROS deployed on a reinforced wall.
Best Hibana skins in Rainbow Six Siege
Due to Hibana's popularity in the game, she has some outstanding skins. Out of all of the skins she has, we have chosen three.
Hibana's Onkochishin
Hibana's Elite bundle, Onkochishin, is arguably one of the best in the game. Her victory celebration is a reference to her Kyūdō background. She looks astonishing and deadly.
Hibana's Sayama
Hibana's Yakuza bundle Hibana's Sayama is a great choice if you are a fan of the Japanese operator. Unfortunately, this bundle can only be purchased with R6 Credits.
Hibana's Fnatic 2022
While Hibana has multiple R6 Share cosmetics, including skins to represent Dplus and FaZe Clan, we have decided to display Fnatic's 2022 bundle. Without a doubt, the best part of the bundle is her headgear!